


Those Were (These Are) the Best Days of My Life

by Lurkz



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Celebrity AU, F/F, Flashbacks, Fluff, but also a little angst esp at the beginning, sort of a high school au in the flashbacks
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-06
Updated: 2019-06-08
Packaged: 2019-10-23 04:59:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17676899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lurkz/pseuds/Lurkz
Summary: Alex and Maggie knew each other in high school. Before Alex left on her first tour and Maggie vanished while she was gone.Now Alex is an established music star and Maggie is the hottest up and coming actress in TV. They definitely never expected to meet again and they certainly never expected to find out that feelings they thought weren't reciprocated... still are.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ironicpotential](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ironicpotential/gifts).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All the edits are done by the super awesome [ironicpotential](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ironicpotential/pseuds/ironicpotential)!!
> 
> Beta'd now. Mostly. All mistakes mine, esp lack of commas. Pretend this really did get posted on the weekend like I said it would.
> 
> TW for homophobia in the second flashback. If you need to, just skip that flashback entirely. You won't miss much and I'll include an end-note stating the bare bones you need to know for the plot.

Alex lounged on the couch in her trailer and picked at the label on her water bottle. She contemplated a glass of whiskey but sighed and refrained. She still had a rehearsal to get through. But after… after that sounded like a good idea.

She gazed absently at the bottle in her hands but her mind was a million miles and several years away. Her expression was dark as she continued to fiddle with the bottle, peeling and replacing the corner of the label mechanically.

It was the night before her new tour started. A situation that always made her broody. Even if this one would be kicking off with Kara for the first few stops, she couldn’t help but dwell. Everyone knew better than to bother her before the rehearsal on this day. Or after it for that matter. The presence of her sister didn’t change that. Though, she was slightly surprised Kara hadn’t appeared at her trailer door trying to stop her from brooding.

As if she’d been summoned, there was a distinctive knock on Alex’s door. She sighed. “Go away, Kara.”

“Not going to happen, Alex. Let me in.”

Alex scowled at the door and didn’t answer. Now she _really_ wished she had a glass of whiskey.

“Alex.”

With a growl, Alex slammed the water bottle down on the end table, though not quite hard enough to damage it. Stalking to the door, she wrenched it open to glare at her sister standing on the bottom step. “ _What_ , Kara?”

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

Kara raised an eyebrow. “We both know that’s a lie.”

“I’m fine, Kara. I will see you at the rehearsal.”

“Don’t seem fine.”

“I’m _fine_.”

“Your band says you do this before every tour starts.”

“We all have our rituals.” She started to close the door again.

“Is it about Maggie?”

Alex froze. No one had actually spoken that name to her in over a decade. The glare turned into a glower. “ _No_.” Yes.

Kara’s gaze softened. “It wasn’t your fault, Alex.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Alex…”

“I’ll see you at the rehearsal.” Alex closed the door firmly, just shy of slamming it. After throwing the lock she stalked back to the couch and flopped down, staring at the ceiling. She hated how that name still made her feel even after all these years. Not that her mind hadn’t been dwelling on that exact topic prior to Kara’s arrival but hearing someone say the name out loud seemed to throw it all in sharp relief. That last summer. The courage she’d finally, _finally_ managed to build up. That very first tour. And then coming home to find it all had fallen apart. She didn’t even know what had happened. Still didn’t know to this day.

Sighing heavily, she tried to force the thoughts away. Not that it worked. It rarely did but especially not the day before a tour. She always wondered what she could’ve done differently. If she could’ve changed anything. If she should’ve stayed. If it was her fault.

Rolling to her feet, she padded to the small bedroom in the back of the trailer. They were doing their first two venues right here in National City so technically she didn’t have to be living in the trailer yet. But Alex liked to get settled early even though her tours always started in National City. It helped her focus and made it that much easier when they had to get on the road. Grabbing what she’d come for, she returned the short distance to the couch and perched on the edge.

Dropping her head, she quietly began plucking out a song on the guitar in her hands. It was her first guitar. She didn’t perform with it anymore, at least not very often. But she took it on every tour and it was still the guitar she used most when planning out new music. It was also the one that reminded her the most of Maggie.

Her ritual before tour always ended like this though usually after rehearsal rather than before. Sitting in her trailer with that guitar and playing her oldest songs, the ones that reminded her most of Maggie. The ones that Maggie had been there for the drafting of. Back before Alex understood her own feelings to realize that these songs were _about_ Maggie. _For_ Maggie really. Not that anyone except maybe Kara knew that. They’d never talked much about how much of Alex’s early music may have been—was—influenced by Maggie’s mere presence.

Alex still performed some of them. It depended on her mood at a given concert and generally was more likely to happen at the smaller venues. They were hard to find for the casual fan though she was always pleasantly surprised at how many people knew them when she did perform them. Never on the opening nights of a tour though. She doubted any of her fans ever noticed that these songs always emerged late in the tour. When she was removed enough from the start that performing them publicly was feasible.

She wondered if Kara was still loitering outside but decided against checking. Her sister hadn’t resumed knocking so Alex would count that as a win. There was still an hour until rehearsal and she wanted it all to herself. Just her and the guitar and the memories.

* * *

The rehearsal went smoothly. Mostly just a run through with the two bands to finalize exactly how they would perform together. Alex and Kara had released a few songs together over the years but it was rare they actually got to perform together. The drastically different genres of music, and the fact that they both now headlined, made it difficult to schedule concerts with each other. They’d toyed with the idea of doing an entire tour together but so far that hadn’t happened. This would be the closest they got with both performances in National City and the subsequent ones in San Francisco and Las Vegas being together before their tours split on their different routes.

Throughout the entire run through, Alex ignored the concerned looks Kara shot her direction. Focusing instead on her band and the last minute details J’onn was running through. As soon as the rehearsal was over, Alex stored her guitar and practically bolted from the stage. She hoped Kara wouldn’t follow her but she doubted she’d be that lucky. She had her hand on the door handle to her trailer when she heard Kara’s voice behind her.

“Alex!”

Alex sighed. She knew if she ignored Kara, her sister would just pester her until she gave in anyway. “What, Kara?”

“I just want to help.”

“I don’t need help. I’m fine.”

"Alex..."

“Just _leave it_ , Kara.” She pulled open the door and paused long enough to say, quietly, “I’ll see you in the morning.” She slipped through the door and closed it firmly, throwing the lock before Kara could get any ideas of following her. She heard the banging on her door begin almost immediately but ignored it. Eventually, the banging stopped and Alex was left in peace. Pouring herself a glass of whiskey, Alex curled up on the couch with her whiskey, her guitar, and her memories.

* * *

_Ten years before_

Alex couldn’t help but sneak glances at Maggie as she tuned her guitar. Maggie was laughing with Winn and Kara about something and Alex was pretty sure she’d never been more beautiful. Over the past few months Alex had slowly come to realize that her feelings for Maggie definitely weren’t platonic. And vice versa. They’d been talking about it the past few weeks. Both of them dancing around it with “oh, so what would you say if, uh, I liked girls…? Like Lucy and Kara like boys…?” and “is there, uh, someone specific? Oh, um… no…”

Neither of them had said much more than that but Alex was _pretty_ sure she knew what Maggie had been implying. And she _definitely_ knew what she’d been implying in return. Now it was the night before Alex was leaving _on tour_ and she couldn’t quite contain herself. This was definitely the night. She had to tell Maggie point blank how she felt before she left. If the looks she kept catching Maggie flipping her way when she thought Alex wasn’t watching were any indication, Maggie wouldn’t object.

Maggie caught her staring and winked, while still carrying on her conversation with Winn and Kara. Alex blushed and ducked her head, focusing on her guitar. Her hair fell around her face like a curtain and she was briefly grateful for the length though she’d been toying with the idea of cutting it short. At this length she could still use it to hide behind. Even though she knew both Maggie and Kara would tell her not to do so.

Speaking of her sister… Alex looked up as a shadow fell over her, finding Kara standing in front of her with a grin. “You ever going to actually play that thing?”

Alex flicked a glance at Maggie and found her sitting and watching expectantly, whatever conversation she’d been having with the others clearly over. Alex blushed again and focused back on Kara. “Uh, yeah, of course.”

Kara’s grin turned knowing. “Great. We _all_ can’t wait.”

Alex mock-scowled at the emphasis, knowing exactly what Kara was implying. She’d told Kara the previous week that she was pretty sure she liked Maggie _like that_ and her sister had been nothing but supportive. She’d also kept up a steady stream of insistence that Maggie liked her too. “Right. Anyway… go sit down.”

Kara practically bounded back to Maggie’s side.

Alex took a deep breath. This was her final rehearsal before she actually went _on tour_. Okay, admittedly, it was with a pretty small band that didn’t exactly have a huge following and she wasn’t really getting paid beyond travel expenses and a nominal cut of the profits. But still. It was real. Multiple cities and everything. It was a start.

First, she had to get through this. And even more… through the conversation she wanted to have afterward. She took another deep breath and started to play. Even though they had their “band,” _she_ was the one going on tour. For the others this had been more of a fun diversion during high school. Alex was hoping to genuinely make it. Not that she was under any delusions about how likely that was. She already had her acceptance to Stanford in hand to start in the fall after the tour—fortunately, it was only a few months long. But still… it was a chance. One not many people got and she was going to take it.

The rehearsal went well, her friends cheering and generally carrying on between each song. Maggie’s whoops in particular making her blush almost every time. James and Lucy had shown up just after she started so her tiny audience packed quite a bit of volume. Once it was over, they all mobbed her on the small stage. It had been where they used to practice when their band was still a unit but recently had primarily been Alex’s prep space with everyone else’s enthusiastic support.

As Maggie hugged her tightly, she whispered in Alex’s ear, “I’m so proud of you, Danvers. You’re going to make it. I can feel it.”

Alex just grinned and squeezed her tighter, unable to resist leveraging her slightly larger frame to pick Maggie up and spin them around for a moment. The squeal and laugh she got in return from Maggie made her grin even wider. She’d barely put Maggie down before Kara was doing the same to her. Alex made a very undignified squawking sound, swatting at Kara’s arms but laughing nonetheless.

When the group finally calmed down, Kara linked her arms with both Alex and Maggie and declared, “It’s time for pizza! Alex can’t leave without having Tommy’s one more time!”

Alex laughed and let herself be dragged along, exchanging looks with Maggie. “Kara, it’s not like I won’t be back.”

“But still!”

Alex laughed again and beckoned the rest of the group. “Come on, guys. Apparently, we’re going to Tommy’s.”

Dinner was a boisterous affair. Alex found herself pressed into one side of a booth, pleasantly squished between Maggie and Kara. They didn’t really discuss it but rather than try to give themselves more room, Alex and Maggie stayed mostly pressed up against each other throughout dinner, separating only enough to allow use of hands for eating. Alex knew she definitely needed to keep her courage up. There was no way she could leave this girl without saying how she felt.

As dinner went on, she felt herself growing quieter as the time of night when she would finally have a chance to be alone with Maggie drew closer. Maggie shot her a few concerned looks and Alex responded with a smile every time, eventually taking a chance and grabbing Maggie’s hand under the table to give it a reassuring squeeze. She was pretty sure she wasn’t imagining the blush on Maggie’s cheeks when she did so.

Grinning a little to herself, she tuned back into the conversation. Which was fortunate because she was focused just in time for James to ask, “So, Alex. Nervous?”

Alex shrugged a little. “Be stupid not to be, right?” She paused, then continued, “But, um, I think it’ll be fun. A good learning experience, right?”

Kara bumped her with her shoulder. “You’re totally going to get discovered, Alex. And then you’ll be the big star!”

Alex chuckled. “It’s really hard to break into the industry, you know that, Kara.”

“If anyone can, it’s you!”

Before Alex could protest again, Maggie broke in, “She’s right. If it would be anyone, it’s you.”

Alex felt herself blushing yet again. She really needed to get a grip on her feelings. “Maybe.”

Maggie seemed to sense her discomfort and redirected the conversation by asking Lucy and James about their college plans. Alex sighed in relief and bumped her shoulder into Maggie’s gently in gratitude. Maggie flashed her a grin, eyes twinkling.

Eventually, they all piled out of the pizzeria. Alex cleared her throat, shuffling slightly awkwardly. “Uh, Maggie, want a ride home?”

“Sure, Alex.” Maggie smiled warmly, dimples flashing.

Alex looked over at Kara who immediately grabbed Winn’s arm. “Winn can give me a ride, Alex! Take your time!” Her wink wasn’t very subtle and Alex groaned silently but tried to ignore it. Fortunately, Maggie either didn’t notice or didn’t seem to mind, simply waiting quietly for Alex.

Once the rest of the group dispersed, Alex turned to Maggie. “So, uh, ready?”

“Whenever you are.” Maggie was still smiling warmly at her.

Alex nodded and they fell into step with each other, walking in companionable silence toward Alex’s car.

“Still saving for that motorcycle?” Maggie broke the silence with the quiet question.

Alex nodded. “Yeah. You?”

“Definitely.”

Maggie grinned and nudged her. “You’ll look badass when you get it.”

Alex cleared her throat and smiled shyly. “You think?”

“I know.”

Alex was glad they were finally in a place where the darkness hid her blush. “Well, I think you’ll be pretty badass too.”

“Thanks, Danvers.”

Alex flashed a smile and hurried to open the door to the car as they walked up to it. Maggie gave her a wide grin as she got in and Alex closed the door gently. She took a slow breath to center herself before jogging around to the driver’s side. Slipping inside, she flashed a grin at Maggie as she started the car. “Not going to have an issue getting home this late, are you?” Alex knew Maggie’s parents could be a lot stricter than her mom. Well, almost everyone was stricter than her mom, given her mom didn’t particularly care _what_ she and Kara did so long as they kept their grades up.

Maggie shrugged slightly, the slight cloud that always covered her face when her parents came up appearing. “I doubt they’re even still awake. It’ll be fine. Totally worth it.” She turned another bright smile on Alex.

Alex smiled reflexively back. “You say that but…”

“Alex.” Maggie put her hand on Alex’s where it rested on the gearshift. “It’ll be fine. It was worth it even if they’re mad.”

Alex swallowed at the feel of Maggie’s hand and nodded. She forced herself to concentrate on the road but didn’t move her hand, trying her best to keep from doing anything that would make Maggie remove her own.

The remainder of the ride was quiet. Maggie didn’t move her hand, absently brushing the back of Alex’s fingers periodically with her thumb. Alex wasn’t sure she really breathed the entire drive. Just content to drive in silence and relish the feel of Maggie’s hand on hers. She really hoped this next step was going to go as well.

Finally, they pulled up in front of Maggie’s house. Alex parked and immediately bounded out of the car so she could open the door for Maggie. Maggie laughed at her as she held out a hand to help Maggie from the car. Despite the laughter, she took Alex’s hand and didn’t let go as they walked up to the front porch. The house was dark, supporting Maggie’s theory that her parents weren’t even awake to notice their arrival.

On the porch, Alex turned to Maggie. She took a deep breath. Maggie faced her and cocked her head slightly, tightening her grip on Alex’s hand. Quietly, Maggie asked, “What’s wrong, Alex? You’ve been on edge all night. And don’t say it’s just the tour. There’s something else going on.”

Alex half-smiled. “You know me so well.” She nodded. “There is something else. I, uh… I know we’ve been talking lately. About liking girls. Like that.” Maggie nodded, giving her a quietly supportive look, eyes soft. Alex took another breath and continued, “And I know we both said there wasn’t anyone in particular but um… I lied. There is someone.”

Maggie’s brow furrowed and she cocked her head slightly though she didn’t pull away. She was clearly waiting for Alex to continue. Alex nodded slightly. “It’s, uh… it’s you. Always has been. I, um… I understand if you don’t—” She absently reached up to tuck a lock of Maggie's hair back before realizing how intimate the gesture was and froze, unsure what to say or if she should move.

She started to stutter out an apology but the rest of her words were cut off by Maggie’s lips on hers. Instinctively, she slid the hand on Maggie’s face back slightly, using it to pull her closer. She felt Maggie’s own free hand come up to grip the back of her neck, holding her tightly. After several long seconds, she pulled back a little, opening her eyes and smiling. “So you’re saying you like me. That’s uh… that’s what I got.”

Maggie laughed softly, releasing Alex’s hand so she could frame her face with both hands. “Of course. I just… I didn’t want to scare you away. You said there wasn’t someone in particular and I didn’t want to lose you.”

Alex chuckled, resting her forehead against Maggie’s. “Figures.” Gently she brushed Maggie’s hair back. “I’m going to miss you.”

“I’ll miss you, too. But you’ll be back and we’ll stay in touch. Promise. And you’re going to do great, Danvers. I know it. One day everyone’s going to know the name Alex Danvers.”

Alex smiled. “The only person I care about knowing my name is you. And Kara.”

Maggie grinned. “Well, I promise I will never forget it. You should get some rest. I’m so proud of you.”

Alex nodded. Maggie was right. She had an early start the next day. “Okay. I’ll text you tomorrow night before the concert.”

“You better.”

Alex smiled and pulled Maggie in for another kiss. They kissed slowly for several minutes before Maggie finally pulled away. “Okay, you have to go. Before I don’t let you.”

Alex nodded, eyes still closed before finally opening them. “Right. Yes. We’ll continue this when I get back.”

“I’ll hold you to that.”

Alex stood there for another several minutes, just holding Maggie and reveling in the feeling. She’d been right. It was worth the risk. Finally, she pulled back. “Okay, leaving now. I’ll text. And call.”

“Okay.” Maggie abruptly pulled her back in for another quick kiss. “Okay, go.”

Alex nodded and reluctantly pulled away entirely. Once she reached her car, she turned back one last time and found Maggie still standing on the porch, leaning against one of the posts and watching her with a fond smile. Alex waved and grinned happily at the answering wave before Maggie finally went inside. Once she was safely inside the house, Alex got in her car and headed home. She didn’t remember the drive home, too ecstatic. It was definitely the happiest she’d ever been.

And also the happiest she would be for a long time after.

* * *

_Present Day_

Alex sighed, downing the last of her whiskey as she shook off the memory. She’d done as promised, texting Maggie. And called. And sent letters. She’d never heard anything from the other woman ever again. And when she’d returned home, Maggie had been gone with no explanation to anyone. She could only conclude that, given the chance to think about it, Maggie had decided she didn’t want Alex after all. She knew the other woman hadn’t decided she wasn’t gay. Maggie had eventually resurfaced years later, though not in their circle of friends and with a different last name than Rodas. Kara had found a picture of her in a magazine, apparently modeling and working in television. It was definitely her. Alex figured she used a stage name to protect her family.

And still out, with a girlfriend that was a fellow model. Not that Alex had ever really gone back in the closet after that first tour, either; though she hadn’t really publicly come out until her career was more established.

Alex had nominally kept track of Maggie’s career after that, though she tried not to follow it too closely. It hurt too much. She knew Kara kept a closer eye on it and she suspected Kara may have tried to contact Maggie at some point though her sister had never said anything about it.

Not that keeping her distance kept Alex from writing songs about the other woman. Her feelings had never faded. Not that Alex hadn’t tried. She’d dated. She threw herself into school. And work. And music. And sometimes a bottle when everything seemed to be going to hell in college. Trying to balance a burgeoning music career and the pre-med track her mother wanted was tough. It hadn’t really worked though. Inevitably, her relationships ended with her girlfriend walking out on her. Usually with some variation on stating that Alex wasn’t actually committed to the relationship. Too obsessed with work. Too stubborn. Too detached. And, on at least one memorable occasion, a hurled accusation that she was cheating because she was clearly in love with someone else. That particular dramatic relationship explosion had led to a several day song writing binge which she emerged from with half an album written and several half-written songs about unending and unrequited love, none of which had made it into final form but which she still poked at occasionally when she was feeling particularly melancholy.

Alex absently plucked at her guitar strings, slowly recreating one of her oldest songs. It was the one she sang the least often in public. A song about feelings and change. It was a song that she’d only realized years later was about Maggie. Part of her wondered if Maggie still listened to her music. If Maggie had ever realized which songs were about her. Or if she avoided Alex’s music like she’d avoided the woman herself.

Alex got up to pour a second glass of whiskey. So far her ritual was right on track despite Kara’s efforts. Even J’onn didn’t bother her the night before a tour. So long as she didn’t show up hungover or go out and get in trouble for him to bail her out of, he left her to her own devices, particularly the night before tour. She’d never told him the whole story of Maggie but he knew enough to understand and be there when she needed him. Or to be not there.

Sighing again, Alex settled into the corner of her small couch, setting the whiskey down on the end table. Cradling her guitar, she resumed playing quietly, letting the soft music fill the space and her memories.

* * *

Maggie stared at the open browser tab, methodically moving her cursor from the “buy now” button to the “x” to close it. Finally, with a sigh, she clicked the “x” and closed out of the purchase site for Alex Danvers opening night tickets. It was the same ritual every time Alex started a new tour. She always started in National City and Maggie always almost bought tickets. Once she’d even gotten so far as to putting in her payment information before closing the tab. She highly doubted Alex wanted to see her—assuming Alex even remembered her. And she certainly wouldn’t blame Alex for forgetting all about the girl that kissed her in high school then vanished after Alex left town for her first tour. After all, Maggie hated herself enough for it, why would Alex be different?

Maggie tried not to obsess over Alex’s career too much. She was still so, so proud of Alex. But she had no delusions about how badly Alex must have been hurt when she vanished. And she couldn’t blame her. To this day Maggie wondered if there was something she could’ve done differently. If she somehow could’ve changed things or at least gotten a message to Alex or Kara or _anyone_. But that was the past and here they were now, practically strangers.

Maggie had gotten a message from Kara once, not too long after one of her very first actual interviews about a recurring role in a tv show. It was just a small blurb in a magazine Maggie couldn’t even remember the name of now but apparently Kara had somehow seen it. Maggie hadn’t replied, too ashamed to do so, and Kara hadn’t tried again. At least not directly. Maggie had figured it was what she deserved. Until anonymous flowers started showing up in her trailer every first day on a new set. Flowers that M’gann assured her were safe but wouldn’t say who they were from. Maggie had a sneaking suspicion she knew and it was more than she deserved.

Maggie sighed and hauled herself off the couch, setting her laptop on the coffee table. Dwelling on lost friends—or relationships—wasn’t going to get her far. She should study her lines. Prep for Monday. It was the first day of filming her new show after all. Her first lead role rather than co-lead or regular. She couldn’t wait. Hopefully, that would be enough to distract her from the realization that once more Alex Danvers would be performing only a few miles away in only a few hours.

In a few minutes she was curled back up on the couch with a cup of tea and her script, intent on focusing and ignoring the laptop that sat tauntingly on the table.

It was barely an hour later and she was back on the laptop, scrolling through the Alex Danvers tag and letting her mind drift back over the years. She didn’t usually let herself dwell on those years too often. That almost-relationship. But she couldn’t help it this time.

* * *

_Ten Years Before_

Maggie was pretty sure time had stopped. It was a perfect moment and she never wanted it to end. She was finally kissing Alex Danvers. Or Alex Danvers was finally kissing her. She wasn’t really sure and didn’t really care. What mattered was that she and the girl she’d definitely had a crush on for months were kissing. Finally.

They’d been dancing around this for so long. And it was just as much Maggie’s fault as Alex’s. Too scared to actually say “yeah, I like girls and I like you, specifically.” This night in particular had been so charged. She could tell from the second she got to the practice space that Alex had something she wanted to say. The other girl had been shooting her looks all night, as if something was just on the tip of her tongue but she wasn’t sure if she should say anything. Then Alex had grabbed her hand at the pizzeria and Maggie guessed—or maybe just hoped—what that something was. So Maggie had taken a chance as well and taken Alex’s hand in the car.

Now here they were. On Maggie’s front porch. _Kissing_. And Alex was leaving tomorrow to go _on tour_ and they wouldn’t see each other for months. But Maggie tried not to think about that. After all, they both had cell phones. They could stay in touch. At least well enough to get them through the summer. And then… well, then they’d see. What mattered right now is that Alex had somehow gotten the courage to say what Maggie’d still been afraid to and admitted she liked _Maggie_.

Unfortunately, Alex did really have to go and, as much as Maggie wanted to, she couldn’t keep her on that front porch forever. Finally, they managed to agree that Alex really should leave and Maggie leaned against one of the posts framing the entry to the porch and watched her walk to her car. She couldn’t stop the silly grin from spreading on her face. She’d kissed Alex Danvers. They liked each other and they both knew it. And they were going to stay in touch and Maggie had never been more proud of someone. Personal feelings aside, she meant it when she said she believed Alex would make it. She could feel it. Alex had that undefinable _something_ that captivated an audience when she was on stage. Maggie just _knew_ someone would see that and that Alex _would_ become a star. She hoped she would be fortunate enough to be at Alex’s side and supporting her during the journey.

Alex gave her an adorable wave after reaching her car and Maggie waved back happily. This was going to be great.

Knowing that Alex wouldn’t leave until she was safely inside, Maggie pushed herself off the post and headed into the house. Alex’s protectiveness, even back when they barely knew each other, was one of her more endearing qualities. She looked back through the front window after locking the door and watched as Alex drove away. She was aware she was still grinning like a loon but she couldn’t stop.

Turning, she went to head upstairs to her room and stopped short, one hand reaching up to grab at her chest as she gasped. Standing at the bottom of the stairs, ominous in the shadows, was her father. She couldn’t make out his expression in the darkness.

The adrenaline still pumping, Maggie managed to say, “Papi. You scared me. I thought you were in bed.”

“I was. I heard the car.”

“Oh. We didn’t mean to wake you.” Maggie wondered if she was about to be grounded for staying out too late. Eighteen years old or not, it didn’t matter to her father. She still lived under his roof and she knew her age wouldn’t stop him from grounding her or setting a limit on when she could get home.

“You need to go pack your bag.”

“I—what? Is something wrong?”

“Now, Margarita.”

Maggie frowned, taking a step forward. “What’s wrong? Is it Mama?”

He took a step backward as she moved forward, as if to maintain his distance. “Pack your bag. Clothes only. Now. You’re leaving.”

“What? I’m leaving? What? Now? Why?” She didn’t understand. Her mind was racing with the possible reasons for this. The way he spoke sounded as if _she_ , and she alone was leaving. But that didn’t make sense. Why was she leaving? And in the middle of the night?

“ _Now_ , Margarita. You are not welcome in this house anymore.”

“I—Papi, what did I do?” She felt like the ground beneath her feet had suddenly tilted. Everything had felt so right just minutes before. Now it all felt so wrong and she didn’t know why.

“You have shamed me, Margarita!”

She felt like all the air had been sucked out of her lungs. “What?” Her voice was small, barely audible.

He jabbed a finger toward the door… and the window in it. “With that _girl_. Pack your bag. You are not part of this family. I will not have one of… _those_ … under my roof.”

Maggie felt frozen. She knew her parents were strict and religious but she’d never imagined this. They’d never made her think that _this_ was how they would react. Robotically, she made her way upstairs, her body moving on autopilot even as her brain stumbled. Methodically, she packed a suitcase. She felt numb. Her mind was no longer racing. Now it seemed like it was mired in Jell-O. She turned to pick up her phone and found the spot where she’d set it on the dresser empty.

Slowly, she turned toward the door and found her father waiting. Her phone was in his hand. She knew she was never getting it back. Which meant she wasn’t going to hear from Alex. And she couldn’t contact her because she didn’t actually know Alex’s number. It was saved in the phone. Or Kara’s. Or Lucy’s. Or anyone’s.

He didn’t say anything as he led the way downstairs and to the car. Maggie followed in his wake numbly. She didn’t know what else to do.

The silence persisted through the car ride until they pulled up outside her aunt’s house. Her aunt who was moving out of the state the next day. Who, apparently, Maggie was supposed to go with.

In a daze, Maggie exited the car and pulled out her suitcase from the backseat. And she watched in silence as her father immediately drove away. The light on her aunt’s porch turned on and slowly she turned, finding her aunt standing in the doorway with a sad look. The woman gestured her niece inside and Maggie followed the order, still stunned.

What had been the best day of her life had become the worst in a matter of minutes.

* * *

_Present Day_

Maggie dropped her head back and stared at the ceiling, forcing the memories away. They were always worse when she was reminded of Alex. Taunting her with everything she thought she could have that had been ripped away. Intellectually, she knew it wasn’t her fault she couldn’t contact Alex after that. After all, her dad had taken her phone, laptop, everything. But she doubted logic was going to sway Alex. If it didn’t sway Maggie herself, how could it ever convince someone else? She should’ve tried harder. Found a way sooner. By the time she had access to a computer again it had been so long… months in fact. She was in college by that point. And simply sending an IM seemed like the wrong way to go about it. Then months turned into years and here she was.

She sighed again, scrubbing at her face. Dwelling was getting her nowhere and yet… she couldn’t bring herself to stop. She took a sip of tea to distract herself and made a face. It was stone cold. She’d been lost in memories longer than she realized. After a glance at the clock, she padded over to the liquor cabinet. It was late enough for scotch and given she already could tell where this night was going, she was going to need it.

Carrying the glass of scotch, she wandered over to her music collection. She might as well go for broke and listen to Alex’s music. She’d just pulled her copy of Alex’s most recent album off the shelf—the same album she was about to start touring for—when she heard a knock. Frowning, Maggie set the CD and scotch down on the coffee table and headed for the door. A peek through the peephole revealed M’gann.

More than a little confused, Maggie pulled open the door. “Is something wrong?”

“You tell me.”

Maggie blinked in surprise, automatically opening the door wider to allow M’gann to enter. “Not that I’m aware of?”

M’gann scanned the apartment as she entered then looked pointedly from the CD and scotch back to Maggie.

Maggie sighed, closing the door. “Just thinking. I’m fine.” M’gann knew most of the story though not all the details. She’d tried, when she first took over as Maggie’s agent, to convince Maggie to reach out to Alex but after Maggie’s vehement arguments against it and eloquent ramblings for why Alex definitely never wanted to see Maggie again, she’d dropped the subject.

“Maggie…”

Maggie held up a hand, forestalling any further comment. “M’gann just… don’t. I’m fine.” She paused and corrected. “I’ll _be_ fine. I just… want to take a night and mope. Okay? I promise I’m ready for Monday.”

M’gann sighed. “I’m not concerned about Monday. I have full faith in you. I just wanted to make sure you’re doing alright. I know this night isn’t easy for you.”

Maggie shrugged a little. “It could be worse.”

“Maggie…”

Idly Maggie wondered if there was a record for how many times M’gann had said her name in that exact way in one meeting, what it was, and if it would be broken tonight. M’gann had barely been here five minutes and already they were up to twice. She turned to pick up her drink. “I’ll be fine. I just…” She sighed and took a sip of scotch. “Sometimes I wonder what could have been. Or if Rachel was right and it would’ve ended the same way every other relationship has.”

She turned back to M’gann in time to catch the scowl before M’gann schooled her impression. She couldn’t help but quirk a small smile. M’gann had never liked Maggie’s most recent girlfriend and though she’d hid it well, Maggie could tell.

“Rachel was an idiot,” M’gann stated unequivocally.

Maggie waved a hand. “Maybe. But… maybe she was right.” Hard headed. Insensitive. Obsessed with work. Possibly a sociopath. Clearly uncommitted. It had been quite the formidable list but Maggie had a hard time disagreeing with any. Except the sociopath one. She was pretty sure that wasn’t true.

“She wasn’t right.” M’gann’s voice was sharp. She pinned Maggie with a hard look. “She _wasn’t_.”

“I… okay. She wasn’t right. I just… I just need some time to mope. Lose my cool.” M’gann looked like she wanted to argue further but Maggie preempted her. “Shouldn’t you be out with your husband? It’s Friday night.”

“He’s working.”

Maggie arched an eyebrow. “On a Friday?”

M’gann gave her an amused look. “Yes, just like I do sometimes. I’m going to meet him in a little while.”

“Good.” Maggie nodded decisively. Just because _she_ was going to sit around mourning lost chances didn’t mean her manager and friend should be stuck alone on a Friday night.

“You’re sure you’re okay?”

Maggie half-smiled. “Not really but I will be. I promise. You know me.”

M’gann sighed and Maggie could practically hear the unspoken “That’s what concerns me.” Maggie knew she had a terrible habit of guarding her feelings from everyone but she did at least _try_ not to do that with M’gann. M’gann had been there for her practically since the beginning—moreso than anyone in her “real” family—and Maggie owed it to her not to push her away.

“I _promise_ ,” Maggie reiterated. “I’m just going to sit here with my scotch and her music and… think. Go be with your husband before he leaves town again. I’ll be fine and I’ll talk to you on Monday.”

M’gann studied her for a long moment before finally nodding. “Okay.” She moved forward to give Maggie a quick hug. “Call if you need anything.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Maggie said teasingly, genuinely smiling for the first time since M’gann had shown up.

M’gann rolled her eyes but smiled fondly. “I’ll talk to you Monday.” With a wave, M’gann was gone.

Maggie locked the door behind her and leaned against it for a moment. It was just like M’gann to show up when Maggie needed a little reassurance. They’d met by chance at one of Maggie’s first modeling jobs back in college. The guy running it had been a true douchebag. M’gann had swooped in, chewed him out for chewing Maggie out for something out of her control, and the rest was history. Smiling a little at the memory, Maggie straightened and wandered back to the coffee table. She exchanged her scotch for the CD and soon the first notes of Alex’s most recent album echoed through the living room.

She curled back up on the couch, content to sip her scotch and listen to Alex’s music and remember how she’d used to listen to it live so many years before on that tiny stage with no one else but their friends around.

Cover of Alex's most recent album

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second flashback picks up where the first left off and includes Maggie's dad kicking her out/taking her electronics


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is! Though not nearly when I was hoping to get it out. :/ Sorry about that. 
> 
> Many many thanks to [sralinchen](https://twitter.com/Sralinchen) for the beta. The awesome edits are courtesy [ironicpotential](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ironicpotential/pseuds/ironicpotential) and the amazing (and rather well known) pic at the end of Chyler is used with permission from [@Iridescent_Anny](https://twitter.com/Iridescent_Anny).

Alex rolled over lazily and looked at the clock. They had deliberately scheduled an extra day between her show the night before and the next one so that they could take a small break and she’d splurged on a hotel room for the night rather than sleep in her trailer. Gertrude was curled in a large ball of fluff at the end of the bed. Alex enjoyed having the fluffy dog with her on tours, though she tended to board the dog the last few days before leaving National City. Gertrude was good company on the road and, unlike Kara, didn’t judge Alex when she wanted to keep to herself and write or play sad songs. It was just after eleven AM now and she smiled sleepily to herself. She hadn’t gotten to the room until after two but at least for once she was able to get a full night’s sleep before getting on the road. They would leave town that night to give themselves a travel buffer. In the interim, however, she actually had some time to herself.

Eventually, she dragged herself out of bed long enough to shower, order room service, and feed Gertrude before returning to sprawl comfortably and scroll through her phone as she munched on her lunch. She hadn’t had much time lately to relax and she intended to take full advantage of her late checkout time to simply be lazy. It wasn’t something she got to indulge in often, particularly on tour.

Idly, she scrolled through her Twitter account. She didn’t post often—and really didn’t keep up with her mentions either—but she tried to keep up with it at least nominally. She’d just taken a sip of her coffee when she saw her. Maggie’s face staring up at her from her phone. Coughing a little as she inadvertently attempted to inhale her coffee, she carefully set the coffee mug down, not taking her eyes off the image on the screen.

She reread the tweet several times, her gaze never flicking too far from Maggie’s face. She’d seen her since that summer, of course. The occasional article or magazine. But somehow it seemed more immediate seeing her face smiling up at her from Alex’s own phone in the privacy of her hotel room. Absently, she skimmed the first few responses, a small smile quirking her lips. She was glad to see Maggie seemed to have ardent fans.

 

Her thumb hovered over the “retweet” icon. It was an Advocate tweet. No one would think anything of it, right? She retweeted things from them all the time. It wasn’t like it was _Maggie’s_ tweet. She probably wouldn’t even know. It wasn’t weird… right? Shaking her head at her own racing thoughts, Alex tapped the button. Overthinking it was pointless. It wasn’t weird. No one even knew their history outside their own group.

Before she could second guess herself, she composed a brief tweet and posted it. She stuck with something innocuous, a simple “Great news for the community!” comment. She honestly wasn’t sure if she wanted Maggie to see the retweet or not. Sighing, she closed out of the app and then nearly dropped her phone as it abruptly began buzzing in her hand, Kara’s smiling face looking up at her.

Frowning curiously, Alex answered. “Hey, Kara. What’s up?”

“Browsing Twitter, huh?”

Alex arched an eyebrow even though she knew her sister couldn’t see her. “Are you stalking me now?”

“I have notifications on for your account. It’s not like you tweet all that often and I have to support my sister, of course!”

“Of course,” Alex replied dryly. She wasn’t sure she knew _how_ to turn on notifications for a specific account, or that you even _could_. Trust Kara to know though.

“So…” Kara dragged the word out.

Alex rolled her eyes. “So, what? Did you seriously just call because you saw that I’ve been on Twitter?”

“Not so much the ‘on Twitter’ part as the ‘what you retweeted’ part.”

Alex froze then asked carefully, “What about it?”

“Just thought it was interesting.”

“I retweet from the Advocate all the time.”

“About Maggie?”

“Do they tweet about Maggie a lot?” Alex fired back, feeling defensive.

She could hear Kara’s sigh come through the phone. “Alex. I’m not saying it’s bad. In fact, I’m glad you saw that. Even if you are two months late.”

Alex swallowed. “Two months late?” Ok, that changed things. Maybe people _would_ notice her retweeting something so old.

“You didn’t look at the date?” Now Kara sounded amused.

Alex shook her head before remembering Kara couldn’t see her. “Uh,” she cleared her throat. “No. I didn’t.”

Kara seemed to sense that she was starting to freak out and her voice gentled. “Don’t worry about it. I’m sure no one will think anything of it. It’s not like you’re on Twitter that much. And it’s not like anyone even knows there’s a reason to notice the topic in particular.”

“Do you… do you think she’ll see?”

Kara was silent and Alex could practically hear the shrug. “I don’t know. She might. She’s not tagged so maybe she won’t. Does she follow you?”

“I… have no idea.”

Kara chuckled and there was a brief silence before she spoke again. “She doesn’t. It’s fine, Alex. Even if she did… would that be so bad?”

Alex thought about it for a long moment. When she spoke, her voice was small. “I guess not.”

“It’ll be fine, Alex.” Kara’s voice was reassuring and Alex nodded to herself. After a moment, Kara continued, “Actually, Twitter wasn’t the only reason I called.”

Alex made an interested sound.

“I have an idea. I think we should do an album together.”

Alex cocked her head a little with a slightly amused frown. “Not a new idea.”

“No, I know. But, I was thinking we do one soon. To release next June…” She trailed off suggestively.

Alex arched an eyebrow. “For Pride month?”

“Exactly. I already talked to J’onn and he thinks it’s a good idea. We could donate profits to charity. Maybe that one you like that helps LGBT kids without a home.”

Alex nodded slowly. “Yeah. That would be good.”

“He made some noises about reaching out to Cat as part of the promo.”

Alex smiled a little. “Since he seems to be one of the few managers she likes, I’m sure he’ll get it.”

“Probably. Well, I’ll let you go enjoy your last few hours before hitting the road again. Still on for virtual sisters night Sunday?”

Alex thought about it for a moment. “Yeah, should be. No show that night and we _should_ get to the hotel early enough.”

“Same here. I’ll talk to you soon. Love you!”

“Love you, too.” Alex hung up the phone and stared thoughtfully into space for several minutes, absently drinking the now lukewarm coffee. She knew she needed to get up and start getting ready soon, but for now she was content to sit. Already her mind was turning over lyrics and song ideas for the album.

She was jolted from her reverie by her phone buzzing in her hand once more. Bemused at the appearance of J’onn’s much less exuberant face (he’d smiled for the pic but no one was as bubbly as Kara in Alex’s experience), she answered the phone. “Are you calling about Twitter or the album?”

He chuckled. “Neither, but now I feel I should discuss both with you. What happened with Twitter?”

Alex shrugged a little, curling around a pillow and burying her toes in Gertrude’s fluffy coat. “Nothing. Kara was just giving me a hard time for retweeting something two months old.”

“Ah.” He didn’t push the issue and Alex was grateful. “And the album? I take it Kara must have told you about her idea?”

Alex hummed affirmatively. “She did. I think it’s a good idea if we can get it done in time.”

“I have faith in you both.”

Alex smiled a little then changed the subject. “So, if those weren’t the reasons, why did you call?”

“Ah, yes. I have been asked if you would potentially be interested in a guest role on a television show.”

Alex’s eyebrows shot up. “A guest role on a TV show?”

“Yes. A single episode is my understanding. Murder mystery kind of thing. They basically want you to play yourself.”

“Am I going to be a murder victim?” Alex joked.

J’onn chuckled. “Not to my knowledge. It’s a science fiction sort of show. Aliens and the like. Would take only a few days to film, I believe. And it films here in National City.”

Alex hummed thoughtfully. “Could be fun. Yeah, sure. What do I need to do?”

“I’ll let you know. They wanted to know first if you’d even be interested. I gather they’re trying to have some interesting guest stars that aren’t just the typical actor-type. It’s a new show.”

Alex laughed. “Well, that’s one way to build hype or whatever. Sure, just let me know. I assume filming would be after the tour?”

“I’ll make sure of it. Have a good trip tonight, Alex.”

“Thanks, J’onn. I’ll keep you posted.”

They exchanged “good-byes” and hung up. Alex rested her chin on the pillow she was curled around and nibbled her lip thoughtfully. So many things happening all of a sudden. But it could be good. This album would be a good idea. And the guest thing could be fun. She resolved not to worry about social media anymore for a while. Or maybe she should try to be a little better about interacting. She shook her head and figured she’d worry about that later. In the meantime, she needed to start getting ready to get on the road.

* * *

Maggie pinched the bridge of her nose tiredly for a moment as she sprawled on her couch. She loved her work; she did. But filming combined with the heavy press duties starting to ramp up to lead into the series premiere was already exhausting. And it had only just started. They’d just finished their first promo photo shoot and Maggie had gotten her schedule of upcoming interviews from M’gann. Between those and SDCC, she knew the rest of July was likely going to be a blur.

She also vaguely remembered some talk about trying to get some unusual guest stars but had opted to let M’gann handle all of that. She knew M’gann wouldn’t let them bring in someone that Maggie had an actual issue with—and there were very few of those anyway—so it wasn’t really something she was inclined to worry too much about. Dismissing the thoughts from her mind, she pulled out her phone to distract herself for a few minutes before getting ready for bed.

Idly, she pulled up Twitter. She hadn’t been on in a few days due to the busyness of work and was vaguely curious if anything interesting had happened. Well, more interesting than fandom meltdowns which she’d rather quickly learned were fairly common once she’d started becoming involved in higher profile shows. Seeing nothing of much interest on her feed, she scrolled through her mentions only half paying attention. At least until Alex’s name caught her eye. She froze, thumb hovering over a tweet as she read it a couple times. Slowly, she continued scrolling, this time with all her attention. There were only a few with her actually tagged—though she suspected many more if she actually searched her name—but those few gave her a halfway decent picture; well, they gave her an idea anyway. Apparently, Alex had done… something. Something that was somehow related to her.

Almost fearfully, Maggie typed in Alex’s name. She’d contemplated following her in the past and was definitely not above randomly looking at her Twitter feed (for all the good it did given how little Alex tweeted) but had never actually taken that final step. She wasn’t sure at this moment whether that was good or bad. Taking a slow breath, she clicked on Alex’s name and watched as her profile loaded. And there it was, the most recent tweet from just a few days before.

 

She didn’t even know how or why Alex had found a tweet from two months before, much less why Alex had decided to retweet it. Maggie drank in the sight of their names so close together for several minutes before finally forcing herself to read the actual tweet. It wasn’t much, not even mentioning her by name, but it was something. It was a clear sign that Alex _knew_ and even maybe that she kept some sort of tabs on Maggie. She glanced down at the replies and smiled at Kara’s.

She wondered what she should do. Ignore it? Like it? Like Kara’s response? She knew, from her periodic stalking, that Alex wasn’t on Twitter much. Or at least didn’t tweet or interact much. Biting the bullet, she hit “like” on Alex’s tweet—though not Kara’s; she _knew_ Kara was on Twitter a lot—then swiftly closed out of the app. Sighing, she tapped her phone lightly against her forehead for a few moments before rolling off the couch. She needed to get some rest rather than dwell.

* * *

The next week went by in a blur. Between filming, interviews, photo shoots, and preparing for SDCC, Maggie had no more time to worry about whether Alex realized she’d seen the tweet and her potential reaction. Maggie couldn’t be more grateful when they took the Friday of SDCC off even though the cast wasn’t flying to San Diego until that evening. But even with that small break, Maggie still felt vaguely behind the power curve as she strode through the airport. Fortunately, the network was providing a private jet and the NCPD: SciDiv cast was making the short flight with the NCPD cast.

Entering the small jet, Maggie made her way to the back, smiling at the cast members already seated. Everyone present so far was from the original NCPD. She knew them courtesy of her two-episode stint on the show to end their most recent season and introduce SciDiv but not well. Settling into a seat, Maggie closed her eyes briefly, waiting for the rest of the group to get there and this whole thing to begin.

She opened her eyes again when she heard someone settle next to her and grinned at her costar, Joe West. “Hey, Joe.”

“Hey, Maggie. Enjoy the day off?”

She chuckled and nodded. “Didn’t get nearly as much done as intended but what else is new?”

He laughed. “Always the way it goes, huh?”

She grinned. She liked Joe. He was playing her partner on the SciDiv and was a friendly man with a calming presence. She never got a feeling from him like he was disappointed that a woman was the lead and she was grateful. She’d worked with too many men in her career that still thought women should be in supporting roles only.

A shuffling sound and a muffled “ouch” made her look past Joe to find Barry, another of her costars though he played a forensic scientist rather than a cop, standing in the aisle, hopping a little. Maggie cocked her head in confusion. “Problem, Barry?”

He flashed a rueful smile. “Yep. Just stubbed my toe. Mind if I join you guys?”

Maggie smiled and waved a hand at the seats facing her and Joe. “By all means.” She paused then added teasingly, “Unless, of course, Joe is tired of you.” It still amused Maggie that Barry was married to Joe’s daughter and had somehow not known they’d been cast on the same show until the first day.

Joe chuckled and waved a hand at the seat.

Barry grinned brightly and settled across from them. “Oh, hey, Maggie. Did you see the _TV Guide_ cover?”

Maggie arched an eyebrow curiously. “No, why?”

He bent over and fished something out of his backpack, then lightly tossed a small magazine at her.

 

Maggie caught it and looked down at the cover. Her eyebrows raised in surprise. Intellectually, she’d known something like this was likely coming. M’gann had made it clear they were going all out with the SciDiv promo. Still, it was a little surreal seeing herself on the cover of _TV Guide_. It wasn’t like it was her first cover but still… the few of those had always been because to other things, usually being a lesbian, not because she was the lead of a show. She couldn’t stop the tiny grin as she took in the cover. This was _cool_.

She looked up to find Barry grinning at her. “Cool, right?”

She nodded with a little laugh. “Yes, very.” She went to hand it back to him and he waved her off.

“Keep it. I picked up a couple copies.”

She hesitated, then smiled warmly. “Thanks, Barry.”

“Honestly, I kinda feel like I should be thanking you. Without you, this show wouldn’t be happening. And I wouldn’t be working with my father-in-law—”

“Which you didn’t even know would be happening,” she interjected with a laugh.

He ignored her and continued, “—or going to freaking San Diego Comic-Con. Which Iris is very jealous of, by the way. Especially since both I and her dad are going.”

“No press badge?”

Barry shrugged. “Not her area. Plus the whole conflict of interest thing.”

“Right.” Maggie nodded. She could only imagine how weird it would be if Iris actually covered the entertainment beat. But she was an investigative journalist—an outstanding one at that. “Still, I bet we could swing a badge for her if she wanted to come.”

Barry shook his head. “Nah. She’s on assignment this weekend anyway. But thanks for the offer.” He flashed her a smile.

They all looked up as the pilot came over the speaker to announce they were closing the doors as everyone was on board. Maggie hadn’t even noticed the last few cast members joining the plane. Zari, the final core member of the SciDiv cast playing a criminal hacker turned good guy, was making her way down the aisle toward them. Maggie flashed a smile and waved her to the empty seat next to Barry. They didn’t have time to do more than exchange brief pleasantries before the plane was taxiing and they were being given a safety brief.

Maggie settled back in her chair, content to relax with her coworkers for the brief flight. Of course, relaxing took the form of goofy videos taken by Barry and one of the NCPD cast members to be posted on social media later. Still, she had to admit that goofing around with cast members from the two shows was a fun way to spend the less than an hour it took them from gate to gate.

* * *

SDCC itself flew by in a blur and before Maggie knew it they were back in National City to film for a few days before heading up to Chicago to film for a couple days. She stepped out of her hotel the evening after the second day of filming in Chicago. Since she wasn’t filming the following day, she’d managed to have her flight scheduled for the morning rather than trying to get back to National City that night.

Glancing around to get her bearings, Maggie started walking. It wasn’t too late yet and she just wanted to relax a bit on her own. Everything had been insane lately. She’d finally gotten the nerve up to check Twitter again after liking Alex’s tweet but there was nothing to indicate Alex had noticed or cared. Maggie honestly wasn’t sure what she’d been expecting. It wasn’t like Alex was going to start yelling at her via Twitter or something. So Maggie had opted to focus on promoting her own show and worry about Alex later. Or never. She had noticed, with interest, that Kara had retweeted a couple of her retweets of the videos from SDCC even though, as far as she could tell, Kara wasn’t actually following her on any platform.

Shaking her head, Maggie dismissed the thoughts about the Danvers sisters from her mind. She was trying to relax after all and those thoughts definitely accomplished the opposite. Especially thoughts about Alex. And work had been hectic on top of it all. Which had the benefit of keeping her distracted from thoughts about Alex and Alex on tour but the detriment of exhausting her. Not that she didn’t love her job; she wouldn’t give it up for anything. But it was definitely exhausting.

After a pit stop for some pizza, Maggie found herself looking for a place to grab a drink and unwind. Pulling out her phone to search for nearby bars, she frowned slightly at one that sounded vaguely familiar though she had no idea why. A glance at the reviews indicated it seemed like a pretty solid selection so, with a shrug, she decided it was as good of a choice as any. Maybe being there would help her figure out why it sounded familiar even though she was fairly sure she’d never been there. Maybe it was in a movie or something.

Arriving at the bar, she raised an eyebrow at how busy it was given it was a Tuesday night. Maybe that lent credence to her movie theory. Making her way inside, she grinned briefly at the decent selection of scotch available. Well, famous bar or not, at least they had a good stock. Ordering a double of Talisker, Maggie made her way to a table tucked in a relatively dark corner with her drink. She was grateful that she was by herself. The table was small with the only seating being the very end of a bench that ran along the wall. Clearly not a table that most people, who were there with other people, were likely to use. It did have a surprisingly decent view of the bar’s small stage, however. Sipping her drink, Maggie watched the current performer idly. They weren’t bad for a random performer at a bar on a Tuesday night.

She noted that people seemed to be paying an inordinate amount of attention to the stage but not as if they were actually interested in the current band. She was curious but not overly so. Mostly she was just pleased that, despite the crowd, the bar had a fairly relaxed vibe and no one seemed to have recognized her. Or, if they had, they were being polite enough to pretend they hadn’t. Either way was fine with her.

Settling further into the corner, Maggie let her gaze drift around the bar. She still wasn’t sure why the name had been familiar. She didn’t get any hint of familiarity from the surroundings as if she’d been there or at least seen it somewhere. She figured it would come to her eventually. Idly, she studied the crowd as she drank. The bar hadn’t been advertised as a gay bar but, unless her gaydar was very off, it seemed that at least half the crowd was lesbians. And that half, even more than the other, seemed to be avidly waiting for… something.

She was about halfway through her drink when it happened. She’d been sipping the scotch slowly, relishing the opportunity to relax. She’d noticed a couple curious glances thrown her way but hadn’t seen any cameras or phones pointed at her, so she hoped that meant either she hadn’t been recognized or people were actually respecting her privacy. She figured, if no pictures surfaced, it was definitely the former. But even if pictures did surface, at least people were leaving her alone in the bar itself, something that rarely happened back in National City. She loved her fans. She really did. They were wonderful. But sometimes… well, sometimes she just wanted to go out and feel like a regular non-famous person.

A small commotion near the stage was what caught her attention. She looked over curiously. She had no idea who the person stepping up to the microphone was—she’d barely even noticed the live music had apparently stopped—but most of the other patrons seemed to. Suddenly, the crowd that had been relatively evenly distributed throughout the bar was pressing toward the small stage. Maggie guessed that whatever was about to happen was the reason this place was so popular on such a random night. Maybe it would even explain why she recognized the name.

“Good evening, everyone!” He looked around the room with a grin. “I’m guessing many of you have already figured out our surprise for the night.” A cheer greeted his words and Maggie arched an eyebrow curiously. He continued, “Our next guest is… well, she doesn’t really need much introduction anymore, does she? So I’ll let her take over.”

Maggie watched the stage with interest. A surprise performance? That… somehow wasn’t really a surprise? Intriguing. She had started raising her glass to her lips when the performer walked on stage. Maggie froze, then slowly lowered her glass back to the table. This was not happening. What were the odds? She now realized why she recognized the name. It was one of the bars from _her_ first tour. A tour schedule that Maggie had had memorized so many years before.

Alex stepped up to the microphone and flashed a smile at the crowd. “How’s everyone doing tonight?”

Maggie pushed herself further back into the shadows and took a large swallow of her drink. She wondered if it would be more obvious if she left right now or later. Sighing, she realized walking out right after Alex arrived would definitely be more obvious than waiting. If people hadn’t posted pictures or tweets about her yet, they _definitely_ would if she walked out right now. She just hoped that when she _did_ manage to slip out, Alex didn’t notice. After all, it wasn’t like she didn’t want to see Alex perform. She just had a terrible feeling that Alex wouldn’t really want her there.

She looked around again and noticed the crowd already seemed to be getting bigger. With luck, she would be able to use that to her advantage and leave before Alex saw her. But it certainly wasn’t going to be immediately. Maggie refocused on the show. She figured if she was here for at least a little while, she might as well take advantage of it. She’d never gotten to see Alex perform for a real crowd after all. Alex was saying something about how many people had guessed the location. Maggie wasn’t entirely sure what that was about, but she gathered that these sorts of impromptu shows must not be uncommon.

“Shall we get started?” Alex’s question was greeted with a cheer and Maggie couldn’t help but smile fondly. Alex had such a presence. It was a far cry from the nervous teen Maggie had known. Listening as Alex launched into one of her newer songs, Maggie felt a burst of pride. Even after everything, she was so proud of Alex. She’d totally called it—way back then—when she’d said someday Alex would be famous.

As Alex changed songs, Maggie looked around at the crowd. They were into it though fewer seemed to be singing along than before. Maggie didn’t have time to wonder why before the words of the song sunk in and she whipped her head around to look at Alex. She knew that song. She was surprised any of the fans did. It was one that Alex had written back in high school, but, to Maggie’s knowledge, it had never been released. It had never had a formal title nor had Alex ever clarified who it was about—if anyone. Most of their friends had assumed the lyrics about finding someone the person didn’t know they were missing were about Kara. But as Maggie listened to the way Alex sang it now, she had to wonder.

It was only after a few more songs that Maggie finally managed to force herself to start making her way toward the door. The bar was full, but everyone’s attention was on the stage and she found it relatively easy to slip along the wall toward the exit. She paused just before she got to the door, turning to grab one last look at Alex and felt her breath catch. Alex had her head ducked, microphone tucked against her shoulder for the moment as the music played. Her hair fell forward, backlit by the stage lights. She looked stunning.

Maggie knew she’d always be a goner for Alex Danvers.

 

Swallowing roughly, she ducked out of the bar before Alex could look back up.

* * *

Alex flopped onto her hotel bed, laughing tiredly as Gertrude immediately hopped up next to her for snuggles. “Hey, girl.” Idly, she scratched the dog’s ears as she stared at the ceiling. The surprise concert (or pop-up concert as Kara had insisted they should be properly called) had gone well. The bar was almost exactly as she remembered it. The crowd was definitely different, though. That first tour with “Modern” had certainly attracted a… different audience. The band didn’t even exist anymore, having broken up not long after that very tour. But Alex had learned enough from it and it was how she met J’onn so she’d come out ahead in the end. At least on the professional side.

Alex sighed and draped her free arm over her eyes. Her personal life was a different story. Of course. Which was really something she didn’t want to think about right now. She’d rather think about how well tonight’s short concert had gone. About how so many of her fans had figured out where it would be and then clearly summoned more to fill up the space once her presence was confirmed. About how she’d been able to spend a little bit of time with them afterward before coming back to her hotel.

Instead, her thoughts kept drifting back to that first tour and the aftermath and her personal life—or lack thereof. Because she could’ve _sworn_ she saw Maggie at tonight’s concert. She was pretty sure she was imagining it. After all, why would Maggie be there? _How_ would Maggie be there? And yet, she couldn’t help but wonder. Sighing again, she patted around on the bed until she found her phone. Dialing Kara, she put the phone on speaker and set it back down so she could continue staring at the ceiling.

After several rings, her sister answered, concern coloring her voice, “Alex? Everything okay?”

“There’s no way Maggie would’ve been at the concert tonight, right?”

Alex could practically hear Kara blinking in surprise. After a long moment, she found her voice. “Uh, I don’t know. Why do you ask?”

Alex pursed her lips. Now that she was about to voice it out loud it seemed kind of silly. Like she was saying that she was just imagining her ex—or whatever they were—around every corner. “I…”

“You what? Alex, you can tell me.” Kara’s voice was soft.

Taking a deep breath, Alex blurted out, “I thought I saw her there.”

“Oh.” There was a short silence and Alex could hear keys tapping. She waited not-so-patiently for Kara to continue. Finally, she did. “Um, well, she is—or was—apparently filming in Chicago. But they wrapped today and it was on the opposite side of town.”

Alex froze. “But she is in Chicago?”

“I… don’t know. She could be. It’s the middle of the week, though. Wouldn’t they have her fly back to National City for more filming?”

Alex shrugged, then remembered her sister couldn’t see her. “I don’t know. I guess. But what if they didn’t?”

“Well, they were on the other side of town. Literally. The odds she’d end up in that bar are… well, very low.”

“Right.”

Kara paused then asked quietly, “Would it be so bad if it _was_ her?”

“I don’t… I don’t know.”

“Alex.”

“Yeah?”

“It’ll be okay. Did the person stay to the end?”

Alex shook her head automatically. “No.” She paused. “But most of it, I think. I only got a quick look as she exited. There were only a couple numbers after that.”

“Well, then, if it was her… she clearly doesn’t hate you.”

“Yeah. I guess not.”

Kara sighed. “I think you should get some sleep. Worry about this if it becomes a big deal, okay?”

“Right. Yeah. That’s a good idea.”

“I love you. Call if you need me.”

“Love you, too.” Alex hung up and studied the ceiling again for another few minutes before easing herself out from under Gertrude’s head and sitting up. Kara was right. Dwelling wasn’t going to accomplish anything and she’d think better with some sleep. She did, however, take the time to do some internet searching and see exactly where Maggie’s show had been filming. Kara was right, it was clear on the other side of the city.

By morning, Alex had convinced herself that there was no way it had been Maggie at the bar and was determined to focus on finishing out her tour.


End file.
